The Secret of Firebending
by xXdeejadoodleXx
Summary: After the circle of fire, Zuko comes to realizations: His drive, his purpose, his passion was Aang. One-Shot/Maybe More -Based on Book 3 Chapter 12 "The Firebending Masters"-


Title: The Secret of Firebending

Pairing: Zuko/Aang

Summary: After the circle of fire, Zuko comes to realizations: His drive, his purpose, his passion was Aang. One-Shot. (Based on Book 3 Chapter 12 "The Firebending Masters")

Rated: MA - Sexual intimacy between two male minors. Yaoi. You've been warned.

* * *

It had been an accident, right?

The lithe boy's arms were entangled within his own; flame extinguishing, small fingers ghosting above the skin on Zuko's wrists.

But if it was, then why was his grip tightening?

The young Avatar shifted. His head was no longer peering over Zuko's broad shoulders to where the once-was flame burned, but began nuzzling into his back. The exiled prince's eyes widened; lips parting ever so slowly. This had to have been a daydream. It just had to. The possibility of the Avatar; Aang, the object of Zuko's desires since as long he could remember, nuzzling into his back, were slim to none.

'Then what is this foreign warmth spreading throughout my body?'

Zuko was simply awestruck by the situation. Not only that it was happening, but at that particular place and time. They were about to face The Firebending Masters, weren't they? The older male cursed the situation. Of all the days, of all the time, Aang had chosen now to show any sort of affection, intentional or not. That didn't matter to Zuko. He was filled with such a feeling only the love of his mother could compare to.

No, not even her love could overpower the feeling that came from the Avatar's slight embrace.

Whether or not the older male had thought of his action's before or after they had been made, was still unclear to him.

Slowly, the Fire Prince retracted his hands; entangling his fingers within Aang's. A shock pulsated to every corner of Zuko's body. Everything seemed to be happening so slow, and yet, so fast. The beating of his heart quickened, but his breaths were long and deep. His mind raced with thoughts of the Avatar. His hands, like the coolness of the wind. His smell; of a winter's breeze. His voice; of a euphoric whistle. Aang was the equivalent to Zuko's oxygen. It was only fitting that Aang was an Airbender, and when the older male was near him, he breathed in every breath of the boy's sweet, sweet aura, savoring its taste like it was the last thing he would ever have of the Avatar.

The caves began to rumble, breaking Zuko from his trance.

The Fire Prince glanced over to see the Sun Warriors bowing at the magnificent structure the two boys were standing upon. Aang's grip on Zuko's hands quickly loosened, ripping away from the older male's touch. Zuko would have whined if he were not the Fire Prince, raised in a time where he was to be shaped into a man of a hard exterior. The warmth of Aang vanished from Zuko's back and the prince felt cold take its place, but now was not the time to pursue his desires, forcing Aang to give it back. He knew something was about to happen, and he readied for it.

The young Avatar peered over the older boy's shoulder again, leaving the word "Uh oh," to tease his ears. Zuko's head turned to face the boy, only for his eyes to shoot wide again as the last thing he'd expect came gliding out of the cave...a dragon, red as the flames of the deepest fire.

The giant winged serpent took flight, spreading its wings in a majestic dance on the wind. The Fire Prince stepped back as it flew level with the two boys, whipping the wind to wobble their balance. Aang was a few steps in front of him, clearly frightened as much as he was. Things couldn't get much worse than this; Zuko would curse the moment he thought those words. Suddenly, another dragon, blue as the darkest ocean, flew from the adjacent cave. The Fire Prince stood stunned, retreating to meet his back with Aang's.

The gigantic creatures circled one another. Mimicking each other's moves, as if in an eternal dance, in which the steps had been memorized and played out a million times over.

The older male felt helpless, scared, bewildered, honored, and confused at all the same time. "These are the masters," the Fire Prince stated, enchantment in his slightly trembling voice.

There was no fire to present to these masters. This surely, Zuko thought, wasn't going to turn out well.

"Still think we can take them?" the young boy asked. The older male hunched lowly, afraid that the almighty dragons might have heard the naive child behind him.

"Shh, I...I never said that!" he spat back, rather quickly.

The Fire Prince was paralyzed, standing there, watching the last of the supposedly extinct dragons cut through the air. That was, until he heard the young Avatar's voice sing to him again.

"Zuko, I think we're supposed to do the Dragon Dance with them."

"What?" His voice was slightly angered. 'Is he blind? Dragons are encircling us, with hunger in their eyes, and he wants to run around, waving his arms up and down like a signal!' the Fire Prince thought.

"What about this situation makes you think they want us to dance?" he blurt out. Another part of him wanted to yell, "They want to eat us, idiot!"

"Well, I think they want us to do something, let's just try it…" the young boy replied.

Anger fumed from within the prince, but his affection and trust for the boy had gotten the best of him.

"Fine."

The two, young benders straightened, assuming their positions, initiating the dance, and as if time was skipped, Zuko's fists met with Aang's, ending it.

The ferocity of the wind seemed to stop, for the exception of the masters' pulsing wings, forcing powerful gusts of wind onto the pedestal in which the two boy's stood, once again, back to back. A dragon was on either side of them, staring into their very core. Their heart. Their soul. Their ancestry. The sight of the almighty dragons, mere feet from them forced trembles throughout the boys' bodies. Zuko felt Aang behind him shiver, and subconsciously, he reached for his hand, holding it tightly. Whether or not this be his last moment with Aang, he was happy it was just that; with Aang.

There was no movement. The air was thick with tension and fear.

Suddenly, the dragons came thrusting forward, clinging to the large pedestal on which they stood. Their mouths widened to reveal their large, ferocious teeth. The Fire Prince was sure this was it. They had been judged unworthy to know the true ways of Firebending. The masters were going to devour them. In the final seconds of his life, Zuko whipped the young boy from his backside to the front of him, smashing their lips together, holding on to him as if he were the last breath to ever fill his lungs. The older male didn't care whether or not Aang wanted this. He didn't care if he loved Katara. He didn't care if he was a homosexual or not. This was what Zuko wanted, and he'd be damned if he left this world without taking the Avatar's lips for himself. To feel that soft warmth that came from him when he touched the other boy's skin. The way he smelled, tasted, and sounded. Aang was beautiful; too beautiful for Zuko to resist, to crave, to lust for, to love.

His only regret was he wouldn't be able to tell Aang how much he truly felt for him. This kiss seemed to be the only thing they had time for. Their lives were nearing their final seconds.

To Zuko's surprise, Aang didn't resist, it took mere moments for the young boy to react, slithering his slim arms around his much older and larger build, taking clumps of his shirt into his hands. It was everything Zuko hoped for and more as the Avatar parted his lips, allowing a soft moan escape from that moist, sweet, cavern. Taking advantage of this moment, Zuko's tongue slipped through and met with Aang's. The boy easily submitted to the older boy's zealous actions, seemingly melting in the older boy's now tightening clutches. The prince held his eyes shut, half consciously awaiting his fate. But it didn't come. He opened his good eye slowly, able to see that he was wrong about the whole situation. He could see deep into the back of the blue dragon's mouth as it slowly began to illuminate. It hit him right there. They weren't going to be devoured; they were going to be burned alive. There was no way to escape the wrath of those scorching flames. This was his last seconds in life, he had to tell him. He had to tell Aang how he felt. He just had to!

Zuko broke away from their intoxicating kiss, knowing that there wouldn't be enough time to steal another one. Taking the boy to his chest; he whispered into his ear, "I love you."

He felt the smaller boy tremble, knees weakening at the sounds of those three, powerful words. He clutched tighter to Zuko, opening his mouth to speak.

"I lo-"

But it was too late, flames shot from the dragon's mouth, as the exiled prince crushed the younger boy into his chest. He felt the dragon behind him spew its blistering hot flames at them simultaneously. Hot air swarmed around them, Zuko's eyes gleaming at the site before him. The flames did not reach them, instead, canceled one another out, resulting in a spiral of vast colors, each one beautiful beyond compare. His long years as a Firebender, he never imagined that fire could produce such beauty. His grip loosened on the younger boy at the bewildering sight. It took him only a few moments to grasp the meaning. Those beautiful colors encircling them, the gorgeous boy in his arms, This, this was the true meaning of Firebending.

"I understand," was the only thing that escaped from the prince's lips.

As quickly as the flames came, they ceased, and the dragons took off with their extreme speed, diving back into the caves in which they came.

The boys stood in silence. Zuko now noticed that Aang had slipped from his grasp. The prince felt a mixture of feelings. Everything happened so fast. And then there was just that, everything had happened. He had really kissed Aang. He had really told him he loved him. It hurt to see the young boy part from him. Not that it surprised the older male; he knew he loved that Water Tribe peasant. She always had his affection. Always. Zuko wasn't sure he needed this visit to Sun Warrior Temples anymore. He wasn't sure if he needed that ultimate secret of Firebending. His rage was there, rage rising from that fact. Katara had Aang. There was no doubting it.

Aang had his head down, as he started to walk down the long steps of the pedestal, Zuko following. The older male's mind was racing a mile a second. Surely Aang wasn't going to be the same around Zuko. After all the work he put into getting close to the young Avatar, it had all been ruined in a few moments. What was he going to say to the young male on the way back? What was he going to do if he willed Zuko to leave the group? The prince, for the first time in three years, was scared by his own emotions. It was sickening how much power the twelve-year-old Avatar had over him. He had to break the silence between them. He had to say something, anything.

"Their fire was beautiful. I saw so many colors. Colors I've never imagined," It was a desperate plea to start a conversation and break the awkwardness, and to Zuko's surprise, it worked.

"Like Firebending harmony," the young voice replied.

Zuko gave an ever so slight grin. At least he was still speaking to him. That was a plus, right? His thoughts were cut off the moment they neared the end of the steps. The Sun Warrior Chief had begun speaking.

"Yes, they judged you, and gave you visions of the meanings of Firebending."

Zuko felt slightly honored, still shaky from the whole ordeal.

"I still can't believe there are living dragons. My uncle Iroh said he faced the last dragon, and killed it." It obviously meant that Iroh had lied. They had seen not one, but two dragons. Maybe there was a still slight hope for the dragons? Assuming the two remaining was of opposite sex.

"So your uncle lied," the Avatar spoke. Zuko turned his face to meet with Aang's gaze.

"Actually..." the Sun Warrior chief replied. The two boys focused their attention on the much older man.

"It wasn't a total lie. Iroh was the last outsider to face the masters. They deemed him worthy and passed the secret on to him as well."

"He must have lied to protect them...So no one else would hunt them," the prince let out. Zuko turned his attention back to the young Avatar as he began to speak again.

"All this time, I thought Firebending was destruction. Since I hurt Katara, I've been too afraid and hesitant. But now I know what it really is...its energy, and life."

Zuko hated the mention of the younger girl's name. How it slipped off the Avatar's tongue. That tongue that should be rightfully his. Anyone who knew Zuko would understand that he got what he wanted. There were no exceptions. So, knowing that someone else had his Aang captivated; that just wasn't acceptable to the exiled prince. The Avatar was his. No one else's. But that didn't stop Zuko from continuing the conversation at hand, rather than ripping the young boy to his chest, taking his lips for himself a second time. There would be plenty of time for that later. There was the whole trip home, after all.

"Yeah," the prince said, agreeing with the last part of the Avatar's rambles of Firebending. "It's like the sun, but inside of you." And with that, came total realization of Firebending. There was a proud aura emitting from the banished prince, as he turned his words to the Sun Warrior chief.

"Do you guys realize this?" he asked with a sense of urgency in his tone.

"Well, our civilization is called the Sun Warriors, so yeah."

Zuko began to line the pieces up. Why his fire had gotten so weak.

"That's why my Firebending was so weak before. Because for so many years, hunting you was my drive..." The older male turned to Aang, seeing the young boy smiling brightly up at the Fire Prince. "...It was my purpose. So when I joined you, I lost sight of my inner fire. But now, I have a new drive." The prince's gaze met with Aang's.

"I have to help you defeat my father, and restore balance to the world." A sudden rise of power filled the teen as he punched the air, releasing a blast of newly fueled fire. He had it back. His fire was his again!

Zuko chanced a glance at young Aang to be astounded as the boy shot an equally powerful blast of fire from his palm. Zuko couldn't help but smile along with Aang, success and accomplishment filling the boy's gray eyes. He took a step forward towards Zuko, and the prince mimicked his movement until they were only a step away, Aang's face, ever still bright and cheery. A slight moment told Zuko that they were going to kiss again, but a slap of reality shoved him from his fantasy and back in front of the chief.

"Now that you know about our tribe's existence, we have no choice but to imprison you here, forever!" The boys' eyes shot wide. This day kept getting better and better didn't it? First, Aang was almost mutilated by spikes. They almost drowned in sticky goo. Then they almost get burned to a crisp by dragons! Now, they have to fight their way off this damned mountain, through the city, back to Appa? Zuko noted never to go off with the young Avatar again. All this stress would have him bald again.

The young prince became tense, and froze momentarily, readying himself for battle. His attention was undivided; fiercely watching the Chief's every movement. The old man's face softened and his lips curved into a smile.

"Just kidding!"

A sigh escaped his lungs, as his chest loosened. He shot a glance at Aang, who did the same. The boy's eyes were wide in disbelief, probably thinking the same thing as him. 'Tribal people and their ridiculous humor.'

"But seriously, don't tell anyone!" the chief finished.

Zuko nodded and bowed, as did Aang.

Then, the two boys turned to leave.

* * *

The trip back to the Western Air Temples was unbearable. Despite being high in the clouds, riding on Appa's back, the air was thick, and tension was high. Zuko mostly spread out in the giant saddle, chancing glances at the Avatar. It was frustrating. He wanted more than anything to have the boy underneath him. Watching him squirm helpless, bare, feeling all over Zuko's naked chest. The prince wanted to ravish the young boy's body, touching every inch of his cool skin, kissing those sweet, sweet lips once more. But this time, Aang would be begging. Begging for Zuko. Screaming for Zuko. Lusting for every touch. The prince felt his pants tighten with these thoughts, and he quickly shook his head, erasing them the best he could. It wasn't uncommon for these desires to invade the exiled prince's mind. They all started three years ago, when puberty took hold of his body. Then he faced the Avatar. It was obvious that the stages to manhood were partially to blame. On numerous occasions, the prince had even pleasured himself, thinking of the Avatar aiding him with his 'problem'. Though the actual truth of how the infatuation began was still unclear to him, it was transparent that it had evolved into something much, much more.

'Maybe it was the thrill of chasing him? Or the thought of dominating someone as powerful as the Avatar? Having someone with that magnitude of power, tremble at your very touch?' Yeah. That had to be it. Or was it...that he just happened to fall for the boy? Was he just attracted to guys? Either way, Zuko didn't linger on it. Not that he had time to, Aang spoke.

"So... that was... some... trip... haha, eh, Zuko?"

There was uncertainty in the boy's voice. An uncomfortable vibe. The prince sat up, resting his weight on his arms, peering over the saddle to face the Avatar's back. Anger flared within the prince. Aang was clearly avoiding the issue. Zuko was a Firebender. Reborn or not with the true ways, he was raised with the old. His temper was unchanged and neither was his blunt attitude.

"If you're referring to when I kissed you, then yeah."

Aang froze for a moment, and then bent down to Appa's face. The giant flying bison roared as Aang jumped into the air and slowly fell to the inside of the saddle. He sat in the small space in front of Zuko.

"Um... yeah, about that... did... w-why did you do that?"

Zuko sighed. This was an example of Aang's more annoying traits. Asking a question he clearly knew the answer to. This thoroughly annoyed the prince. But he'd play the young Avatar's game.

"I thought it would be obvious. I kissed you because I have an attraction to you. I clearly said 'I love you' in that moment I thought we were going to die."

The Avatar blushed fiercely. It was adorable. The way he turned his head, bringing his hands to clasp shut, rosy lines covering his face. If Zuko didn't have that last little bit of self control, he probably would have taken the young boy there and then, consent or not.

"Oh…" muttered from the Avatar's pink lips.

Zuko's single eyebrow rose.

"What did you expect me to say?" he asked.

The young boy shifted; clearly the question had caught him off guard.

"I dunno," he muttered. "I guess, I never thought those kinda things were real."

Zuko sat up. 'What was this? Some sort of game to confuse me?' he thought. The Avatar just wasn't making any sense.

"What are you talking about?" the exiled prince demanded.

The young boy turned to try and hide his resurrected blush, failing miserably. Zuko merely sat there, staring blankly at the boy, slightly annoyed at his childish immaturity.

"Well..." the young boy avoided the golden glare of the older male."Wishes."

Now it was Zuko who was trying to hide the oncoming blush. Of course he had mastered hiding such things. Being around Aang had forced him to do so. He couldn't go around blushing every time the younger boy's skin came into contact with his, or did something so unbearably cute, or even after having thoughts of teasing Aang's delicious skin while in the boy's presence. Zuko's mind wandered to those depths of perversion frequently. He was, after all, a male in his teens, and he had plenty of urges. No, not urges...needs. But all of this was irrelevant. If the prince heard the boy right, then, it would mean that he had wanted the kiss. Wouldn't that also mean that he had some sort of attraction to him? Aang, the last Airbender; Avatar, master of all four elements, had a physical and or mental attraction to Zuko; banished Crown Prince of the Fire Nation.

The prince had to ask if his speculations were true. No, no he didn't. He was a Firebender. He had the drive and power to get what he wanted. And right now, that was the young boy in front of him. Zuko crawled over to the young Avatar, one hand slivering around his waist, bringing the younger boy to his chest, earning a 'yelp' from the smaller boy. The other, trailed up the backside of his neck, pulling it so his head was staring up, giving him access to the boy's lips. This was the sight Zuko had craved for so long. Aang, on his knees, chest out, head, staring at the stars, eyes closed in anticipation. Now the only two things missing were the absence of Aang's clothing and Zuko's name slipping off the boy's tongue.

"Zuko...what-"

The boy was cut off. That was what the older male wanted to hear. Zuko had once again slammed their lips together. He felt young Aang squirm beneath him. 'There is no escaping me this time Avatar. You had evaded me so many times in the past. You were the air, always slipping through my fingers. You crushed my hopes in regaining my honor. I fell to my knees in defeat. But now... Now I've found your weakness.' A sudden swelling filled Zuko's chest, more or less pride. The prince's hand slowly traveled down Aang's back, tracing his spine. The young Airbender moaned, giving the Firebender entrance. His tongue swarmed in, meeting with Aang's. The boy seemed to enjoy the sensation, for he moaned into Zuko's mouth with the slight contact. Then, the Airbender made his move, dueling the Firebender for dominance. Why the boy felt the need to try such a thing was beyond Zuko. Clearly, the prince was in control; that most certainly wasn't going to change. Aang's hands made their way around the prince as his tongue danced with the older male's, periodically letting moans slip into the other boys mouth, who swallowed them whole with a newfound hunger. Zuko was lost in the taste that was Aang, becoming addicted to him as if he were heroine.

Zuko pulled from the young boy, who licked his lips, dazed and clearly unhappy that the sensation of their tongues had ended. But this was far from over. The banished prince placed a hand on the young boy's chest, pushing him onto his back. Zuko crawled the rest of the way, positioning himself over Aang's lithe frame. The prince supported his own weight with his well built arms. His head hovering over Aang's; his shaggy hair billowing in the wind. The Avatar trickled his fingertips up and down Zuko's arms, feeling them tighten and tremble. The Firebender decided the intermission was over by dropping his head to kiss at the boy's neck. His leg rubbed against the boy's groin and a whimper escaped his lips. Strong hands found their way underneath the Avatar's shirt, feeling his soft skin and slightly developed chest, and now the prince's lips were suckling on every inch of exposed skin.

But of course, like everything else in the Banished Prince's life, the moment was short-lived. The giant Flying Bison roared ferociously and began to descend. Had they gotten back already? It didn't seem that long at all. The prince froze then slowly moved his body so he could look out unto the terrain below. Appa was about to land at the Air Temple, and of course, Katara was rushing to what looked like the area where the giant buffalo was going to land.

"Damnit" The Prince exhaled.

He quickly composed himself and turned to Aang who had already done the same. The Bison landed, and the two boys climbed down from the saddle.

* * *

I'm definitely planning on continuing this, I'm just not sure when I'll get around to it.

Review and stuffs. 3


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